The effect of smartphone dependence on learning burnout among undergraduates: the mediating effect of academic adaptability and the moderating effect of self-efficacy.

Introduction: Smartphone dependence is closely related to the physical and mental health development of undergraduates and their learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between smartphone dependence, academic adaptability, self-efficacy and learning burnout among undergraduates and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: The study was conducted on 2,110 undergraduates using the Smartphone Dependence Scale, the Undergraduates Learning Adjustment Scale, the Learning Burnout Undergraduates Scale and the Self-Efficacy Scale to develop a mediation model and a moderation model. Results: The findings of this study revealed that (1) smartphone dependence significantly negatively predicted academic adaptability; (2) academic adaptability significantly negatively predicted learning burnout; (3) smartphone dependence significantly positively predicted learning burnout; (4) academic adaptability partially mediated the effect of smartphone dependence on learning burnout; (5) self-efficacy played a moderating role in the effect of academic adaptability on learning burnout. Conclusion: These findings can help researchers and educators better understand the underlying mechanisms between smartphone dependence and learning burnout in undergraduates.

Production of high-density metastable argon atoms with periodic fast pulsed DC discharge.

Optically pumped metastable rare gas laser (OPRGL), as a potential high-energy laser has attracted much attention. During extensive research on OPRGL, the realization of volume discharge with high-metastable density has always been a priority and is essential to the efficient lasing of OPRGL. A large-volume plasma of He/Ar with high metastable density at atmospheric pressure can be generated by applying peaking capacitors near the electrodes. In this article, 0.8 cm3 of He/Ar plasma at a pressure of 900 mBar, with a peak value of metastable argon density higher than 1014 cm-3 was realized. The metastable density was measured by absorption spectroscopy based on the absorption bandwidths acquired at a pressure range of 400-900 mbar where a probe beam at a weak line with wavelength 772.38 nm was applied. Furthermore, the high metastable density was verified by the laterally-observed laser-induced fluorescence, as well as the laser oscillation of 100 mW under a longitudinal pumping with a short gain length of 8 mm.

The Effect of Academic Adaptability on Learning Burnout Among College Students: The Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem and the Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy.

Background: With the popularization of higher education, the problems of academic adaptability and learning burnout among college students have become increasingly prominent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between academic adaptability, learning burnout, self-esteem and self-efficacy of college students and their underlying mechanisms. Methods: The study was conducted on 2110 college students using the College Student Learning Adjustment Scale, the Learning Burnout Undergraduates Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Self-Efficacy Scale to establish a mediating model of adjustment. SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. Model 4 and Model 14 in the process plug-in prepared by Hayes (2017) were used for mediating effects analysis and moderating mediator analysis respectively, and the significance of the mediating effects was tested using the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method. Results: (1) academic adaptability significantly and positively predicted self-esteem; (2) self-esteem significantly and negatively predicted learning burnout; (3) academic adaptability significantly and negatively predicted learning burnout; (4) self-esteem partially mediated the effect of academic adaptability on learning burnout; and (5) self-efficacy moderated the latter half of the mediation process of academic adaptability-self-esteem-learning burnout. Conclusion: These findings are useful for college educators and related researchers to better understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between academic adaptability and learning burnout, thus providing practical and effective operational suggestions on the prevention and intervention of learning burnout in college students.

The relationship between self-esteem and mobile phone addiction among college students: The chain mediating effects of social avoidance and peer relationships.

Introduction: Mobile phone addiction has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of college students, which has attracted extensive attention from scholars. Methods: In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the influence of self-esteem on mobile phone addiction among 694 college students using the Self-Esteem Scale, the Mobile Phone. Addiction Scale, the Peer Relationship Scale and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale. Results: The results showed that (1) self-esteem significantly and negatively predicted mobile phone addiction; (2) self-esteem influenced mobile phone addiction through the mediating effect of social avoidance; (3) self-esteem influenced mobile phone addiction through the mediating effect of peer relationships; and (4) social avoidance and peer relationships played a chain mediating role in the influence of self-esteem on mobile phone addiction. Discussion: These findings can help researchers and educators better understand the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between self-esteem and mobile phone addiction and to provide practical and effective operational suggestions for the prevention and intervention of mobile phone addiction among college students.

The influence of occupational values on college students' willingness to apply for civil servants: The mediating role of political efficacy.

At present, civil servant positions have become the main employment target of many college students in China, and there is a deep motivation behind this phenomenon. This research conducted an empirical study on college students in 2022 with 566 valid data by using the convenience sampling method. The occupational values scale, political efficacy scale, and the willingness to apply for civil servants scale were used. Descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and common method deviation were performed by SPSS 26.0 to test the reliability of each scale and the discriminant validity of variables. In addition, the structural equation model and bias-corrected bootstrap were used to explore the influence of occupational values on college students' willingness to apply for civil servants and analyze the mediating role of political efficacy. The results show that: (1) The dimensions of career stability, prestige value, and public service motivation of occupational values have significant positive impacts on college students' willingness to apply for civil servants, among which public service motivation has the most significant impact. (2) Occupational values have significant positive impacts on college students' political efficacy. (3) Political efficacy has a significant positive impact on the college students' willingness to apply for civil servants. (4) Political efficacy plays a partial mediating role in the transmission path of occupational values and willingness to apply for civil servants. These findings further clarify the logical relationship between occupational values and civil servants' willingness, providing a theoretical basis and practical reference for college educators to implement college students' career education.

Anthropogenic Rare Earth Elements: Gadolinium in a Small Catchment in Guizhou Province, Southwest China.

Rare earth elements (REEs), known as "industrial vitamins", are widely used in medical treatment, industry, agriculture, etc. However, with the increasing demand for REEs, excess REEs, such as gadolinium (Gd), are considered micropollutants in the environment. In this paper, the distributions of dissolved REEs were analyzed in three small streams, in order to determine the extent and occurrence of Gd anomalies. The shale-normalized REE patterns in the three streams were less smooth with heavy REEs higher than light REEs, for a weak reaction of the heavy REE complexes. A negative Ce (cerium) anomaly and positive samarium (Sm) and europium (Eu) anomalies were observed in the three streams and the negative Ce anomaly was affected by the pH of the alkaline rivers. However, a positive Gd anomaly was found in only a typical urban small stream, Jinzhong. With a population of approximately 60,000, Jinzhong runs by a hospital and through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The concentrations of Gd in Jinzhong ranged from 1.54 to 86.65 ng/L with high anthropogenic Gd proportions (63.64%-98.07%). Anthropogenic Gd showed significant seasonal variations and distinct spatial disparities from upstream to downstream, and it was associated with certain ions such as Cl-. Anthropogenic Gd could be attributed to gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA), which is used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in hospitals. This type of Gd was shown to be correlated with municipal wastewater. Due to the high stability and low particulate reactivity in water, anthropogenic Gd has great potential to serve as a tracer to prove the presence of medical wastewater.